Alain de Botton brings his Art as Therapy project to the Rijksmuseum
Alain de Botton is putting theory into practice. The writer and commentator on philosphy, art and architecture has recreated his book Art as Therapy at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Selecting works of art and prints from the museum he has grouped them under populist headings and used ubiquitous yellow sticky notes alongside them to help viewers form a more personal way of responding.
Words Christine Gravemaker-Scott
Photography Olivier Middendorp
Alain de Botton is putting theory into practice. The writer and commentator on philosphy, art and architecture has recreated his book Art as Therapy at the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Selecting works of art and prints from the museum he has grouped them under populist headings and used ubiquitous yellow sticky notes alongside them to help viewers form a more personal way of responding.
The sticky note aims to subvert traditional painting labelling, offering a different, if not particularly deep, take on this Bart van der Lek
Alain de Botton was everywhere during Amsterdam's 'month of psychology'. He was in every newspaper you opened, every news-channel you watched showed him as he launched Art is Therapy, at the Rijksmuseum, followed by the inauguration of the city's branch of his 'School of Life'. The city was completely 'em-bottonised'.
He has a high, sometimes challenging, profile that tends to polarise opinion. On meeting him you are struck by his energy and high level of enthusiasm, but there is also a certain naivety and shyness, compounded by his conservative, school-boyish look with a penchant for uniform-style blue shirts. The friendly chap next door; a likeable, witty, 'geeky' type of guy.
Living Architecture: model for Peter Zumthor's Secular Retreat, between the resorts of Salcombe and Hallsands in Devon, due to be completed in 2015. Photo Credit: Living Architecture
After observing him over three days in Amsterdam, one has to be impressed -- blue shirts aside -- at his genuine drive. His enthusiasm is infectious and his knowledge impressive, his talks are delivered at high speed without a pause, but always with a smile. It is difficult to take offence to someone who seems genuinely optimistic.
For those not fully aware of who Alain de Botton is, here's a potted profile: the Swiss-born philosopher is a resident of London, author of at least 12 books, public speaker and presenter of radio and TV programmes.
Living Architecture: constructed from Danish hand-made bricks, the John Pawson Designed Life House/Ty Bywyd in Wales is due to open next year. Photo Credit: Living Architecture
He is also the co-founder of social cultural enterprises such as Living Architecture and the School of Life. The 'School', which runs a variety of programmes and services on how to live wisely, started in London in 2008 and has now expanded -- and continues to -- into a number of countries. Always interested and motivated by visual stimuli and its effects, particularly so when it comes to architecture, de Botton was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in 2009, in recognition of his services to architecture.
Living Architecture: Grayson Perry and FAT combined to create A House for Essex which will open its doors later this year. FAT / Living Architecture
'Architecture matters because of what is in front of our eyes; the places we inhabit hugely determine who we are,' de Botton says. 'Our identities are not stable. We need the help of an optimistic, kind, dignified external environment to help our inner states.'
His book Architecture of Happiness explores and addresses the effects of philosophy and psychology of architecture, the power and emotions it inspires, how it affects our lives, happiness and well-being, and how to become more aware of them and learn from that (as with art).
Alain de Botton at the Rijksmuseum in his de rigeur blue shirt. Photo Credit: Vincent Mentzel
In 2009, he co-founded the not-for-profit organisation Living Architecture, allowing the UK's middle classes to holiday in some truly outstanding houses -- designed by the likes of MVRDV, NORD, and soon John Pawson and Peter Zumthor. The aim is to get the public up close and personal with exciting buildings, to experience living, eating and sleeping in them, thus enhancing the appreciation of modern architecture.
The subtle neon sign outside the museum announces the show
Another book by de Botton, Religion for Atheists, made him come up with the idea of building an atheist temple in London, a project that inevitably met with much opposition from middle England and a number of non-believers, including high-profile atheist Richard Dawkins. For now, the project is 'on hold'. But de Botton -- who likes a bit of controversy and is not easily daunted -- immediately enthuses to me about another temple, the 'Temple to kindness and delight'. This is a Living Architecture collaboration between British artist Grayson Perry and now disbanded FAT architecture. The Hansel-and- Gretelesque house in Essex is the next Living Architecture project to open, scheduled to start taking paying guests this autumn.
The aim of the project was to involve people on a 'what can it do for me' level with the artworks
De Botton has a raft of accessible -- some say too accessible -- philosophy books to his credit on a wide variety of subjects including travel, architecture, religion, work, love, sex and status. His aim and hope is to simplify psychological wisdom. It was the book Art as Therapy, published in 2013 and written by de Botton and philosopher/art historian John Armstrong, that sparked off the idea for the Rijksmuseum 'intervention'.
The aim of the project was to involve people on a 'what can it do for me' level with the artworks
In the book, they look at how works of art can be approached in a more personal way and used as a therapeutic tool to help people lead more fulfilled lives, even help with some of our dilemmas, big and small, that we encounter in our daily lives. De Botton has long thought of culture as being something that should shed an explanatory and consoling light on our daily lives: 'It's an approach that I've had since I was a teenager, and it's how I myself use and respond to art.' It's the kind of language that is always going to appeal to some and annoy others.
The opportunity -- of taking it all a major step forward, off the page and into the museum -- came with a chance meeting of Wim Pijbes, director of the Rijksmuseum, and Alain de Botton. The discussion that followed went something like this: de Botton to Pijbes 'You're doing it all wrong!' Pijbes to de Botton 'OK, show us how to do it properly!'
The aim of the project was to involve people on a 'what can it do for me' level with the artworks
To be given this chance at this magnificent and muchrevered 19th-century cathedral-like museum was a dream, albeit frightening and daunting. De Botton, who has had a fair share of criticism for his thoughts, writings, approach and especially so for Art as Therapy, now had to put theory into practice. Books, according to the philosopher, 'how marvellous they may be, cannot on their own change very much. The widespread belief that they can strongly hold back progressive causes and the effectiveness of enlightened minds'. De Botton adds that he feels hugely indebted as this radical project was a daring move for both the museum and its director.
A total of 150 works of art throughout the museum and 40 prints from the archives were selected for Art is Therapy. The prints were divided into five themes and placed into 'cabinets' under the populist titles fortune, money, politics, sex and memory. Guided by the geography of the building, the decision was made to put labels with the selected works. Work with the well-known Dutch designer Irma Boom -- who is responsible for all the graphics for the museum -- started.
Her concept, based on yellow sticky notes, was further developed and these 'extended captions' can be found alongside the selected works of art, but also elsewhere in the museum, the entrance, cafe and shop.
Despite the large green flashing neon sign Art is Therapy on the grand building's facade, the intervention itself is slightly disappointing. The sticky notes' approach should have been even stronger, bolder and more legible. One has to be quite determined to find all the philosophical comments within the walls of the museum. But in case you missed some of the yellow stickers, Boom has also created a Post-it style catalogue/pad, containing all the words of wisdom and the images to take home and reflect on.
De Botton and the Rijksmuseum hope that people will take inspiration and follow this more personal way of responding to art, with less emphasis on where it comes from and who made it and more on 'what can it do for me'. De Botton reckons their mission is accomplished 'when something that was considered odd becomes normal -- to look at a picture and think about yourself, your life situation -- then I know we have succeeded'. And he reiterates that they are 'not telling people what to think, it's just a suggestion; if they don't like it, then move on; the show will be gone in September!'
'The museum is only a prelude to the well-lived life.' reads the note - make of it what you will...
That said, it's not likely to be going away completely. De Botton would like to permanently open up this new, therapeutic way of reading art, other venues are lined up and the natural next step is to go digital -- conversations with Google have already started.
